W Sumatra to allocate 20 pct of regional budget for education

Padang, NU Online
The West Sumatra provincial administration plans to allocate 20 percent of its 2009 regional budget for the educational sector as part of efforts to improve its human resources as a basic asset to implement development.

"We plan to allocate 20 percent of the regional budget for the educational sector in accordance with the mandate of the constitution," West Sumatra Governor Gamawan Fauzi said here on Saturday (16/8).<>

The governor`s statement came a day after the central government announced on Friday it would allocate Rp224 trillion or 20 percent of the 2009 state budget for the educational sector.

Fauzi said the plan to raise educational budget by 20 percent of the 2009 state budget was one of the wise steps to answer future and long-term challenges as well as to face increasing global competition.

Improving the educational sector was one of the strategic development programs that must top the list of the government`s priorities to produce quality human resources as a basic asset to implement development, he said.

He said West Sumatra had long been committed to increasing the educational budget as required by the constitution.

As reported by Antara news agency, West Sumatra`s educational budget rose 3 percent (Rp24 billion) in 2005, 13.11 percent (Rp129.96 billion) in 2006, and 16.3 percent (Rp141.747 billion) in 2007.

The increase in the educational budget was a manifestation of the government`s commitment to improving the educational sector in the province, he said. (dar)